SPSS vs. AMOS: A Comparative Approach to Analyzing Moderators in Behavioral Research

Abstract

Many researchers face confusion in selecting appropriate software for quantitative data analysis due to the lack of comparative studies in this area (1). This study examines the moderator analysis results conducted using AMOS and SPSS software. Moderator analysis assesses the extent to which the independent variable influences the dependent variable through a moderator variable. The research utilized data from a questionnaire completed by 383 adolescents in Ahvaz, Iran. The independent variables included the impact of COVID-19, parental attachment, and peer attachment, while emotional intelligence served as the dependent variable, with online networking acting as the moderator. Analysis using SPSS indicated that online networking moderated the relationship between all independent and dependent variables. Conversely, results obtained from AMOS revealed no significant moderating effect between the independent and dependent variables. Descriptive data indicated that students experienced low internet connectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that online networking may have had a limited capacity to moderate these relationships. Consequently, the findings derived from AMOS are regarded as more reliable than those from SPSS. The novelty of this research lies in its comparative analysis of AMOS and SPSS, alongside its pioneering examination of moderation within developmental psychology studies using AMOS. The results underscore AMOS's superior accuracy and reliability, as demonstrated by its alignment with the descriptive data and ability to provide clearer visualizations of variable relationships. This study strongly advocates for the application of AMOS in psychological research, particularly for complex interaction effects.